Handle device



PbQ/VK Ci IV-QLLDCE INVENTOR.

AT TO R NEY$ United States Patent 3,112,849 HANDLE DEVICE Franlr C.Wallace, 10424 McCormick St., North Hollywood, Caliti, assignor ofone-third to H. H. Helhush,

Beverly Hills, and one-third to E. R. Livingston, Los

Angeles, both in Calif.

Filed June 27, 196i Ser. No. 38,963 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-323) My presentinvention has to do with a handle device and to a method of making andassembling the same, although, in its broader aspects, it concernsa'novel joint construction for joining two structural elements together.In its more particular aspects, my invention relates to a handle devicegenerally of the type disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No.2,877,934 suitable for easy attachment to and detachment from aconventional spray can, such as an aerosol can, having a plungeractuated valve for releasing a liquid displaced by gas under pressure.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide, in a handle or likedevice composed of two or more parts such, for instance, as a metalliccan'engaging portion, a lever for actuating the displacing plunger ofthe spray can and a hand engaging portion, a novel construction forassembling and joining the parts together in cooperating relationshipwhich is extremely economical, simple, durable and efficient.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel method ofmaking and assembling such a device.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

By way of example, I shall now described in detail a presently preferredembodiment of my invention as a handle for a spray can, for whichpurpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view;

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1, except that some parts are shown insection;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the hand-engaging portion with thecan-engaging portion detached therefrom;

FlG. 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 5-5 :of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the can-engaging portion; and

HG. 7 is a top plan view of the can-engaging portion.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a conventionalspray can of the well-known type adapted to dispense such liquids ashair sprays, paint and the like, the liquid being forced from the can bygas pressure through a plunger 6 which, when depressed, opens a controlvalve, not shown. There is a spray oriflee, not shown, in the plungerthrough which the spray emerges. conventionally, the top end or neckportion of the can has an upwardly opening, undercut recess denoted bythe broken lines 7. While such a spray can does not form a part of mypresent invention, it serves to illustrate one of the uses to which myhandle device may be adapted.

My improved handle device is generally denoted by the numeral 10 andcomprises a hand gripping portion which also pivotally sockets thetrunnions 16a of a plunger actuating lever 17, and a can-engagingportion 20.

The front end or can-engaging portion 20 is a channeled metal stampinghaving a round opening 22 adjacent its outer end whose inner peripheryis partially defined by circum-ferentially spaced, resilient, depending,outwardly disposed ringers 25, which fingers resiliently engage in theundercut recess 7 in the can when the outer end portion of thecan-engaging portion or member 20 is pressed against the top end of thecan. The fingers resiliently retain the portion 2% locked to'the can sothat the can may be lifted and manipulated by the handle member. As bestshown in 7, the flat top wall 19 of the portion 2% extends rearwardlyand has a rectangular opening 27 therethrough intersected by a pair oftransversely spaced longitudinally disposed slits 28 providing aresilient ear 30. The ear 30 is of a length to sli htly extend into theopening 27, for the purpose to be hereinafter described. The portion 20also has a rectangular opening 35 in its top wall (for passing the lever17.

The hand gripping or engaging portion 15 is preferably molded of asuitable plastic, such as acetate or polystyrene plastic, has a hollowhand engageable portion th and a forward extension portion 42 to whichthe canengaging portion 2% is joined in the manner to be described.

-As best shown in the sectional assembly 'view of FIG. 2 and in the view:of FIG. 4 and the enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5, the extensionportion 42 has an opening 4:; therethrough to pass the lever 1'7, and atthe opposite sides of the latter opening the extension portion hasregistering recesses 47 to pivotally receive the trunnions 16a of thelever. The outer side surfaces of the extension portion are recessed at48 (FIG. 5) to receive the channeled inner end part of the can-engagingportion 20.

At its outer or right hand end, the extension portion 42 has a rightangularly disposed, upwardly extending boss 5%? engaged by the car as.Spaced rearwardly or to the right from the boss 50, the extensionportion 42 has a second upstanding boss 52, undercut at 53, to receivethe rear end edge of the can-engaging portion 2% when the parts areassembled. The lever 17 has a finger engageable portion 17a and aplunger engaging opposite end portion 17b and is pivoted to the handledevice by the before-described trunnions 16a.

To assemble the hereinbefore described parts of my handle device, thetrunnions of the lever are dropped into the recesses 47. Next the rearend of the can-engaging portion 26 is inserted in the undercut 53, and,using that engagement as a fulcrum, the portion of the canengagingportion 29 is pressed downwardly over the extension 42, which causes theboss Stl to pass through the recess 27 and flex the ear 3% unwardly sothat the car then bears angularly against the boss 5%) to prevent partsfrom being relatively swung in the opposite direction. In fact, anyatempt to swing the parts relatively in the opposite direction willcause the outer end of the ear 3% to tend to dig into the plastic bossit so that in order to disassemble said parts it is necessary first touse a suitable tool to hex the ear 5% away from the boss. One of theadvantages of making the handle portion 15 of plastic is to enable theear to slightly dig into the boss 54) positively to efiect locking ofthe parts together against accidental disassembly.

It is also apparent that, by the before-described construction, thedevice may be assembled in a minimum of time since it is only necessaryto drop the trunnions of the lever into the recesses 47 and, after thecan-engaging portion is applied, it retains the plunger against escapefrom the recesses. The described construction is also advantageous inthat it enables the hand-engageable portion to be made of a lightweightplastice whose weight does not tend to tip over the can, and plasticsare adaptable to being made of attractive colors to add to the aestheticvalue of the device, which is important when the handle device is beingused on a hair spray can which usuflly forms a part of the boudoirequipment. Also my construction enables the can-engaging portion to be 3in a form of a metal stamping so as to get appropriate resiliency andstrength to the fingers 2S and ear 39.

I claim:

1. In a handle for a plunger actuated aerosol can, a hand-engagingportion having a forward extension presenting an opening therethrough,presenting a pair of upstanding bosses adjacent the respective endboundaries of said opening, the rear one of said bosses presenting aforwardly opening undercut, said forward extension also presenting apair of upwardly opening re istering recesses as opposite sides of saidopening, a plunger actuating lever extending through said opening andhaving trunnions pivotally engaging in said recesses, a front endcan-engaging portion having a channeled rearward extension engaging oversaid forward extension of said hand-engaging portion and having its rearedge engaging in said undercut, said rearward extension having a leverpassing opening in its top, having an opening through which the forwardone of said bosses extends, having a rearwardly extending ear portionresiliently engaging said last-named boss, and providing a top closurefor said upwardly opening recesses.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said forward extension has siderecesses to receive the sides of said rearward extension.

3. In a handle device rfor a plunger ctuated aerosol spray can, a handgripping member having a forward eX- tension presenting a pair oflongitudinally spaced, integral boss portions, the rear one of which isforwardly undercut and the forward one of which defines an uprightabutment; said forward extension also presenting an opening therethroughand a pair of trunnion-receiving 'ecesses at opposite sides of saidopening; a channelshaped can-engaging portion fitting on said forwardextension and having a resilient, reanvardly disposed ear lockablyresiliently engaging the forward one of said bosses and having its rearend portion engaged in said undercut; and a plunger actuating leverextending through said opening and having trunnions engaging in saidrecesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS594,043 Thompson Nov. 23, 1897 2,223,153 Seifer Nov. 26, 1940 2,263,815Northrup et a1. Nov. 25, 1941 2,319,782 Rourke May 25, 1943 2,538,435Wegner Jan. 16, 1951 2,616,643 Budd 4, 1952 2,696,332 rFelver 7, 19542,803,383 Dickman et a1. Aug. 20, 1957 2,820,578 Dickrnan Jan. 21, 19582,868,421 Schott Jan. 13, 1959 2,877,934 Wallace far. 17, 1959 2,884,166Vosbikian Apr. 28, 1959 2,924,008 Haushalter Feb. 9, 1960

3. IN A HANDLE DEVICE FOR A PLUNGER ACTUATED AEROSOL SPRAY CAN, A HANDGRIPPING MEMBER HAVING A FORWARD EXTENSION PRESENTING A PAIR OFLONGITUDINALLY SPACED, INTEGRAL BOSS PORTIONS, THE REAR ONE OF WHICH ISFORWARDLY UNDERCUT AND THE FORWARD ONE OF WHICH DEFINES AN UPRIGHTABUTMENT; SAID FORWARD EXTENSION ALSO PRESENTING AN OPENING THERETHROUGHAND A PAIR OF TRUNNION-RECEIVING RECESSES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAIDOPENING; A CHANNELSHAPED CAN-ENGAGING PORTION FITTING ON SAID FORWARDEXTENSION AND HAVING A RESILIENT, REARWARDLY DISPOSED EAR LOCKABLYRESILIENTLY ENGAGING THE FORWARD ONE OF SAID BOSSES AND HAVING ITS REAREND PORTION ENGAGED IN SAID UNDERCUT; AND A PLUNGER ACTUATING LEVEREXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HAVING TRUNNIONS ENGAGING IN SAIDRECESSES.